Method of manufacturing a cellular material



Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PArsN-ri OFF-ICE- ME THODJOE. MANUFACTURINGFA EEELULARL ATERIA Axel Frokjaer-J'ensen, Charlott'enl'und, and'A'lfrecl Herman MunchAndreasen, Gentofte, Denmark- Section 1, Public-haw 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires May 24; 1-961 1 manufactureof-aburnt silicate product: having a.

cellular-structure;

Such-products are'frequently used for insulatiing purposes and-one of the principal objects of.

the-invention isto providea product having -a 21;" thick; by: a rotating knife: and then carried: byzat conveyor into. aarotarylkiln with: a lengtlr- Off- 23i m. and a diameter of 2.5 m. and revolving eta. rate. of1t119 R.. P: At the intake. end of." the kiln, chains-were I suspended in the-same manner. as in kilns for the burning of Portland'; cement.

and at the opposite end of the kiln there Was a coal! dust .fire. The kiln-lwas lined with. ordinary fire1-..bricl s'-'- andi had: foun radial: ridgesepro acting" very-lowdensity, but very high-cr-ushingstrength. inwardly, about".8-:cm..

A- further object ofthis invention-is to provide The; burning was--.efiected ati a temperatureaofr a strong, granulated product, which= is suitable about: 11009-11258-0: Thetresultingig-rainy proda. for incorporation in concrete. uctz: was sorted intmthreezgrad'essoflgrain size;.3-;

A still further object'is-the provision of-aprocmm'.. or' less. 3.-:12; mm. and: 12 F301 mmz, respeceess for the industrial-useof molasses-and molasses 15 tively. By far the greatestgportiontwasnlassifiedg residues or waste products, particularly those reof.the medium-grain;size and ithad a unittweightt sulting from conventional alcohol conversion of.6.00.lbs..per.cubiqyard. processes. A. .prcuziuct;v manufactured. in the same .manner,

Other, objects and advantages will appearfrom. but Without the addition of molassesmad a. unit'. thefiollowing; description. weight of 10.00 lbs. per cubicyard. An admixture Ingeneral, the invention comprises (1) adding of"2%' molasses gave a productwithaunitweight. to -shaleorg-plastic clay or other argillaceous 550'lbs. per cubicyard; I materiaLwaste products fromthe sugar industry Similarly; additionsof 011%, f"1%', 4% in, quantitiesof of 1% to.v 8% calculated. as and 8 %molasses;yielded cellular-products'having drly matten of the Weight of the dry matter con,- 2.5-unit weightsof 900, 730; 700and 900 lb s: per tents of the raw material and uniformly discubic yard,--respectively: tributing the added material in the argillaceous Instead of molasses, residues obtained, for exmass; (2) introducing the mixture into a rotary ample, by utilizing the sugar content of molasses kiln and (3) burning the mixture in the kiln at in the conventional production of alcohol, may a certain temperature thereby producing a conalso be used as the additive with similar results. siderable increase of the volume of the product A molasses residue derived from the utilizadue to leavening or the formation of gas filled tion of the sugar content of beet sugar molasses cavities in the argillaceous material. The latter by alcohol fermentation gave, by additions of 1, becomes softened at the burning temperature 2 and 4% products having unit weights of 600, thereby permitting the gas filled cavities to be- 560 and 690 lbs. per cubic yard, respectively. come evenly distributed and resulting in a highly The use of cane sugar molasses resulted in the cellular final composition. final products having unit weights of 760, 610, 560

A substance obtained as a by-product or wasteand 700 lbs. per cubic yard for 0.3, 1, 2 and 4%, product in the beet sugar industry, namely beet respectively, of the molasses. sugar molasses is suitable as an additive. It was Residues in the manufacture of alcohol from found, for example, that by admixing Danish clay cane sugar molasses, added in quantities of 0.8, and 1% of molasses, calculated on a dry basis, a 1.6 and 3.2% to the clay resulted in final products unit weight of 600 lbs. per cubic yard was obtained having unit weights of 670, 620 and 700 lbs. per in the final product. cubic yard, respectively.

The clay, before admixture, was in a moist and A slate with a suction ability of 20% was plastic condition, i. e. with a water content of crushed into pieces of a grain size of 12 mm. and 40%, calculated on the clay dried at 100 C. moistened until saturation with asolution of mo- The clay was fed at the rate of 2.5 tons per hour lasses residue containing 10% dry substance, to a brick-making machine consisting of a pugwhereafter it was. burned in a rotary kiln at a mill, two pairs of rollers and a string press. Motemperature of l225. The resulting product lasses with a water content of 25% was added consisted of rounded lumps having a unit weight in the pugmill at the rate of '25 kg. per hour of 650 lbs. per cubic yard. Without any addition with an equal quantity of water to uniformly disof molasses residue a unit weight of 980 lbs. per tribute the molasses in the clay. The clay comcubic yard was obtained. ing from the press was cut into slices about 2 cm. 5 It has previously been suggested to manufac- 3 ture highly porous refractory bricks by means of highly porous chamotte burned in a rotary kiln.

The material contains clay, sawdust and a considerable amount of molasses, and after its moulding it is burned to a. temperature, at which the sawdust and molasses is burned out leaving cavities in the clay. The material is, however, not burned until it begins to soften, and the cellular structure of the final product could therefore not be the result of a bloating and expansion which would make the previous moulding to certain dimensions quite valueless.

In applying the method according to the present invention sawdust in large or small quantities is of no importance and molasses is only'to be used in very limited quantities. I, I r

The burning of a clay applicable for refractory purposes until bloating is, futhermore, practically impossible and has never been done because the necessary temperature should be at least 1600 C. The necessary amount of fuel and the necessary equipment for such burning, would be too X pensive.

The burning temperature necessary for making porosity by means of burning out substances is ordinarily below 1000 C.

We claim:

1. A process for the manufacture of a product having a cellular structure, said process consisting essentially of uniformly distributing in an argillaceous material /4 of 1% to about 4%, by weight on a dry basis, of a member selected from the group consisting of molasses and molasses residue, uniformly baking the resulting mixture at the softening temperature of the material, whereby the material softens and gas is produced in the material causing it to bloat under formation of a cellular structure, and then cooling the resulting bloated material.

2. A process for the manufacture of a product having a cellular structure, saidprocess consisting essentially of uniformly distributing in an argillaceous material /4 of 1% to about 4%, by weight on a dry basis, of an aqueous solution of a member selected from the group consisting of s molasses and molasses residue, uniformly baking the resulting mixture at the softening temperature of the material, whereby the material softens and gas is produced in the material causing it to bloat under formation of a cellular structure, and then cooling the resulting bloated material.

3. A process for the manufacture of a product having a cellular structure, said process consisting essentially of uniformly distributing molasses in the proportion of about A of 1% to about 4%. by weight on a dry basis, in an argillaceous material, uniformly baking the resulting mixture at the softening temperature of the material, whereby the material softens and gas is produced in the material causing it to bloat under formation of a cellular structure, and then cooling the resulting bloated material.

4. A process for the manufacture of a product havinga cellular structure, said process consisting essentially of uniformly distributing molasses residue in the proportion of about A; of 1% to about 4%, by weight on a dry basis, in an argillaceous material uniformly baking the resulting mixture at the softening temperature of the material, whereby the material softens and gas is produced in the material causing it to bloat under formation of a cellular structure, and then cooling the resulting bloated material.

5. A process as defined by claim 3 in which the molasses is in the form of an aqueous solution.

6. A process as defined by claim 4 in whichthe molasses residue is in the form of an aqueous solution.

AXEL FROKJAER-JENSEN. ALFRED HERMAN MUNCH- ANDREASEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 208,302 Fletcher Sept. 24,1878 212,860 Tessie et al Mar. 4, 1879 1,289,049 Kraus Dec. 24, 1918 1,453,468 Kraus May 1, 1923 1,741,574: Kraus Dec. 31, 1929 2,485,724 Ford Oct. 25, 19 19 

1. A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A PRODUCT HAVING A CELLULAR STRUCTURE, SAID PROCESS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTING IN AN ARGILLACEOUS MATERIAL 1/4 OF 1% TO ABOUT 4%, BY WEIGHT ON A DRY BASIS, OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MOLASSES AND MOLASSES RESIDUE, UNIFORMLY BAKING THE RESULTING MIXTURE AT THE SOFTENING TEMPERATURE OF THE MATERIAL, WHEREBY THE MATERIAL SOFTENS AND GAS IS PRODUCED IN THE MATERIAL CAUSING IT TO BLOAT UNDER FORMATION OF A CELLULAR STRUCTURE, AND THEN COOLING THE RESULTING BLOATED MATERIAL. 